Statement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
A strong traceability program is critical for rapid identification and containment of animal disease to maintain market access and support the prosperity of the Canadian agricultural sector. Since January 2026, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has been re-engaging industry, associations and governments on its proposed amendments to Part XV (Traceability) of the Health of Animals Regulations (HAR).
Further to this recent feedback, the CFIA is planning to move ahead with updated traceability requirements for goats, sheep, and cervids to bring them in line with requirements similar to cattle and bison. The CFIA will also move forward with updated pig traceability requirements supported by the industry. New movement reporting requirements for cattle and bison will not move forward at this time.
The CFIA will continue to work closely with the cattle sector and other livestock industries through ongoing industry-led forums and discussions. These will inform future plans related to strengthening Canada’s livestock traceability program to protect the health of animals and the long-term viability of our livestock sector.
What is proposed to move forward
The revised proposal will focus on improvements that enhance livestock traceability including:
- Giving producers of all regulated parties the option to use provincial premises ID numbers instead of personal contact details when buying tags or reporting events;
- Introducing ID requirements for goats and cervids like all regulated species;
- Adding event reporting (e.g. slaughter, disposal, import, and export) for goats and cervids like all regulated species;
- Requiring slaughter and export reporting for sheep like all regulated species;
- Shortening event reporting time requirement from 30 days to 7 days for abattoirs and carcass collection or disposal points for all regulated species; and
- Requiring transporters of all regulated species to carry documentation to accompany animals during transport, which most producers and transporters already meet through existing systems such as provincial livestock manifests.
Moving forward together
The CFIA remains committed to working with producers and industry to identify disease management strategies, including traceability, that protect Canadian agricultural markets. Once final stakeholder engagement on the various components of the revised regulatory package is complete, a new timeline will be provided to advance these amendments for final publication in Canada Gazette, Part II.
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